Biotech Values

[vinmantoo]

I don't disagree that we will get there eventually for all diseases, but oncology is "easy" because in an increasing number of cases you can identify single-gene drivers.

The causes of metabolic or inflammatory diseases, on the other hand, are highly polygenic and are not going to be incredibly amenable to targeted approaches for a long time, although of course there will be a slow and increasing drip of targeted approaches over time.

I think this is a far too pessimistic view for oncology investments, and not an accurate characterization of oncology. It sure as hell isn't easy. Yes there are some cancers that are primarily driven by a single gene being over-expressed or inappropriately expressed, like Burkitts lymphoma. However, cancers are usually far more complex with multiple gene drivers then add in heterogeneity within tumors, as well as distributed among the patient population. This heterogeneity arises later in disease progression, largely due to genetic instability providing variations that can drive selection for tumor cells that can evade the immune system and or to treatments.

In my view, genotyping tumors will provide the means for more combination treatments where individual drugs aren't very effective but the combination provides synergistics effects.